More than a staple for sauces, soups, and salads, the tomato is the first vegetable that most gardeners attempt to grow or can, a veritable icon of our culinary lore and heritage. This beautifully illustrated book finally gives the tomato its due, in the kitchen, the garden, and in our culture, from defining its true identity (botanically a berry, the tomato was deemed by the Supreme Court to be a vegetable in commerce) to finding tomato imagery in packers' labels, magazine ads, and tableware—and applauding its appearance as the unlikely villain in Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Between photos and essays on heirloom varieties, tomato festivals, and tomato kitsch (not to mention a garden primer, a canning guide, and a gallery of tomato art), the book offers 52 delicious recipes, including Homemade Ketchup, a Fried Green Tomato Casserole, Spicy Red Tomato Cake, and the Consummate Bloody Mary.